Tarangire · Mawe Lodges
Baobab Tented Camp
Ten tents among old baobab trees inside Tarangire National Park, on the wildlife corridor towards Lake Burunge. One of the few camps in the park that runs night game drives.
Plan a safari with this lodge- Area
- Tarangire, inside the national park
- Style
- Tented camp
- Tents
- 10
- Meals on our safaris
- Full board
- Night game drives
- Yes, from camp
- Night drive age
- 12 and over
- Run by
- Mawe Lodges
Baobab Tented Camp is a small tented camp run by Mawe Lodges in a quiet part of Tarangire National Park, among the baobab trees the park is known for. It has ten tents, a mess tent, a bar and a campfire, and it has been open since 2018. You may also see it listed as Baobab Tented Lodge or Baobab Lodge Tarangire, which is the same property.
We suggest it to guests who want to sleep inside Tarangire rather than at a lodge outside the gate, and in particular to those who would like a night game drive, because the camp runs its own drives after dinner. Staying inside the park also means the morning drive starts at your tent, before the day visitors have come through the gate.
What it's like
The camp sits on the wildlife corridor between the park and Lake Burunge, and animals use this route every day to move between grazing and water. Elephants and giraffes pass the camp most often, and the camp has no fence, so a member of staff walks you to your tent after dark. Guests often hear hyenas and lions at night, and elephants sometimes feed a few metres from the tents.
All ten tents are en-suite, with real beds, mosquito nets, an in-room safe and charging points, and each one faces the plains. Most tents are set up as a double or twin, and there are triple tents and a family tent that sleeps up to five. Meals are served in the mess tent, with a buffet breakfast and dinner at the table, and the kitchen packs a lunch box on days when you are out in the park until the afternoon.
The night game drive leaves camp at about 9pm, after dinner and a short briefing, and returns at about 11pm. A guide and a spotter go out with every vehicle, and the spotter uses a filtered spotlight to pick out animals such as genets, civets and owls, and with some luck, a lion or leopard hunting. Seats on the shared drive are limited each night and should be booked at least a day ahead, and a private vehicle can be arranged on request.
Getting there
Times are to the main gate. The camp is inside the park, so we run the drive from the gate to camp as a game drive, and guests coming from Arusha usually arrive in the afternoon.
Park fees
The camp is inside Tarangire National Park, so each night here carries the park's overnight fee on top of the daily entry permit, and a night drive adds the park's night game drive fee. Each one goes into our quotes as a separate line, paid to Tanzania National Parks. Current figures are on our park fees page. See Tanzania park fees.
Who it suits
A good fit for
- A night game drive in Tarangire, starting from your tent
- Early and late game drives without the queue at the gate
- Travellers who prefer a small camp of ten tents
Look elsewhere for
- Children under 12 who want to join the night drive. The camp's minimum age for night drives is 12.
- Travellers who want a pool and lodge facilities. For those, we use a lodge outside the park.
- Tight budgets. Sleeping inside the park adds a nightly park fee that lodges outside the gate do not carry.
When to go
The camp is open all year. June to October is the dry season, when wildlife gathers along the Tarangire River and elephant herds of a hundred or more are common. The short rains turn the park green and bring migratory birds, and the long rains are the quietest months in the park. Night drives run all year, and the camp notes that darker, moonless nights usually give better spotlighting.
Common questions
Is Baobab Tented Camp inside Tarangire National Park?
Yes. The camp is inside the park on the Lake Burunge wildlife corridor, so park entry and an overnight park fee both apply for each night you stay.
Does Baobab Tented Camp offer night game drives?
Yes. The camp runs shared night drives after dinner, leaving at about 9pm and returning at about 11pm, with a guide and a spotter. A private vehicle can be arranged on request. We book the drive with your stay, as seats are limited each night.
What is the minimum age for the night drive?
The camp accepts guests aged 12 and over on night drives, with a parent or guardian. Younger children can stay at the camp but do not join the night drive.
Is Baobab Tented Lodge the same as Baobab Tented Camp?
Yes. Mawe Lodges confirms that Baobab Tented Lodge and Baobab Lodge Tarangire are other names used for the same camp.
How much does a stay at Baobab Tented Camp cost?
It depends on your dates, the tent type and the rest of the route. We can quote the stay on its own or as part of a full safari quote with the vehicle, guide, park fees and any night drive included. Send us your dates and we will cost it properly.
Other places to stay in Tarangire
Elephants Lair, Conserve Safari Tarangire, Siringit Tarangire Camp, Nyikani Tarangire Camp, Ang'ata Tarangire Camp, Tarangire Tortilis Camp.
See all lodges and campsSources and Maintenance
Where these figures come from
Fees, rules and official guidance can change at short notice. Every figure on this page is checked against a primary source on the date below and rechecked on a regular schedule.
- Baobab Tented Camp, Mawe Lodges official website (setting, tents, meals, seasons) (checked 31 October 2026)
- Night Game Drive in Tarangire, Mawe Lodges (timings, guide and spotter, minimum age) (checked 31 October 2026)
- Photos: Mawe Lodges
- Saleh Safaris route and drive-time notes (operator observation) (drive times are ranges, conditions vary)
Saleh Safaris is an independent safari operator based in Arusha. This is our own guide to Baobab Tented Camp, not the lodge's official website.